Is that all you've got?

"Then how should we break the formation?"

Ning Xiang looked at Yu Tingchao instead.

"You do it."

"Me?" Yu Tingchao pointed at the tip of his own nose, looking rather bewildered.

Ning Xiang smiled encouragingly at him. "You've got this!"

The little black lotus was an expert in formations, blessed with the male lead's halo to boot. Wouldn't breaking a formation be a piece of cake for him?

And so the following bizarre scene unfolded-

Yu Tingchao casually kicked a stone, and the towering ancient trees all retreated like an ebbing tide, letting sunlight pour in.

Everyone's jaws dropped. That actually worked???

Ning Xiang patted Yu Tingchao on the shoulder. "Your talent for formations really is extraordinary, junior brother."

Yu Tingchao said, "It's all thanks to your excellent guidance, senior sister."

While the two traded professional flattery, sinister cackling suddenly rang out around them. The sharp, shrill sound stabbed at everyone's eardrums, drifting overhead yet seeming to rise from underground.

"The disciples of the Profound Heaven Sect do have a few tricks. Such tender young boys and girls-your blood must taste delicious!"

Bai Yueguang raised his sword toward the sky. The forest wind billowed his robes as the spirited young man declared in a ringing voice, "Enough of your spooky tricks! Do you dare face this God of War in single combat?"

Ning Xiang: ... I'm reporting him. He stole my signature line!

"An ignorant brat who doesn't know his own limits!" the Tree Demon sneered.

A blast of wind struck Bai Yueguang in the chest. Clutching it, he tried to cough up a mouthful of blood but couldn't. "The power of that strike was truly terrifying!"

Ning Xiang cringed.

Were all sword cultivators this melodramatic?

Feng Xiaohan silently took two steps back. Not all disciples of our Ten Thousand Swords Sect are like this.

"Let's make a deal. You can have this one. Let the rest of us go."

"Senior Sister Ning-" Bai Yueguang looked wounded, as though he'd suffered a devastating blow.

Zhou Ruoxue went over to support Bai Yueguang, shaking her head through her tears. "No, we will never abandon a single companion!"

The Tree Demon choked for a moment, but continued delivering his villainous lines. "You dare bargain with me? You truly have a death wish! Then let your flesh and blood become my nourishment!"

Great masses of bloody mist came rolling in from every direction, drawing within mere yards of them.

"I have a flying boat. We can use it to get away!" Yu Tingchao said. "Senior sister, no matter when, I'll protect you. I won't let you lose so much as a hair." His gaze was resolute.

Ning Xiang said, touched, "Thank you. Just stand behind me in a moment."

With that, Ning Xiang rubbed her fingers together, and several paper talismans appeared in her hand. She crushed them, and a pure, gentle breeze suddenly arose around their group, blowing away every trace of the bloody mist.

The surrounding landscape came into view.

Every leaf on the trees had withered and blackened, and the ground was pitch-black as well. Countless skeletal remains lay piled beneath their feet.

Wen Maimai let out a short, frightened scream, unsure where to put her feet.

"Is that all you've got?" Ning Xiang chuckled.

The Earth-Fiend Demon Lion and the Kui Ox had been clutching their heads and sobbing. Seeing the danger pass, the two beasts exchanged looks.

Hadn't that been a little too easy to resolve?

Ning Xiang asked them, "What's the story behind this Tree Demon? Why are you so afraid of him?"

The Earth-Fiend Demon Lion bawled loudly enough to give Ning Xiang a headache. She slapped a Silencing Talisman on him, then turned back to the Kui Ox. "You tell me."

"He swallowed a Great Demon's heart and can produce bloody mist endlessly. There isn't a demonic beast in the Maze Forest that doesn't fear him."

"Oh." Ning Xiang glanced at everyone behind her. "Let's go."

"Huh?"

"To get rid of the Tree Demon. Leaving such a menace alive would keep me trembling with anxiety."

Everyone: The Tree Demon should be the one trembling with anxiety!

"It's no use. No one can find the Tree Demon. He looks no different from an ordinary tree," the Kui Ox said dejectedly.

Really?

Ning Xiang looked at Su Lang. "Eldest senior brother, do you have a way?"

Su Lang said, "My Langhua Sword was made to subdue demons and vanquish fiends. It can lead us to the Demon Tree."

"As expected of our eldest senior brother!" No sooner had Ning Xiang spoken than she remembered the side quest that damned system had assigned her. Her expression turned serious. "Don't make empty boasts, eldest senior brother. We'll soon see whether Langhua is truly as miraculous as the legends claim."

Yes, Langhua was her eldest senior brother's most treasured companion. He would definitely get angry if she questioned Langhua like this.

[Dear little Langhua, we're counting on you to find the Tree Demon in a moment.]

Su Lang wore a faint smile. "All right."

Huh? Even after she'd disparaged Langhua like that, her eldest senior brother wasn't angry? He really was broad-minded.

"In that case, let's go."

Bai Yueguang staggered to his feet.

Ning Xiang cast him a sidelong glance. "Stop pretending. With that build of yours, how could you possibly be so delicate?"

With that, she strode away without looking back.

Bai Yueguang rubbed his chest. "Huh? I'm actually fine?"

Everyone followed Su Lang for roughly half an hour before finding a huge tree with crooked branches and a sickly appearance.

To be honest, a tree like this was utterly unremarkable in the Maze Forest.

Countless skeletal remains lay beneath its roots as well, and the thick stench of blood was almost nauseating.

"Heh heh! If I hadn't deliberately lured you here, how could you possibly have found my true body?"

The Tree Demon gave a vicious laugh. Almost simultaneously, a dense mass of countless vines stretched toward them.

Feng Xiaohan and Bai Yueguang raised their swords and hacked at the vines, but they surged like spring water, impossible to cut away completely.

Worse still, bright red sap flowed from the severed ends, splashing onto everyone's clothes and corroding little holes in the fabric.

They scrambled to fend off the Demon Vines, with Luo Hanzhen looking the most wretched of all.

Ning Xiang watched her summon a swarm of Multicolored Butterflies. Before they could flap their wings more than a few times, they crumbled into powder.

Then Luo Hanzhen summoned a Jade-Eyed Spirit Sheep, white and soft as a cloud. The little sheep took two bites of the vines, rolled its eyes back, and fainted.

Then Luo Hanzhen summoned yet another creature, a plump Nine-Tailed Mysterious Cat. The cat clawed and tore at the Demon Vines, only to send venom splattering everywhere, burning even Luo Hanzhen's pretty face.

Then Luo Hanzhen once again...

"Enough," Ning Xiang interrupted, her head aching. "Can you stop keeping these flashy, useless pets? Everyone, move aside and watch me!"

With that, Ning Xiang summoned her Heartfire and formed seals with both hands. The ball of flame, originally only the size of an egg, swelled steadily. She hurled it at the Demon Tree. With an earth-shaking boom, the raging flames spread, swallowing the Demon Tree in an instant.

The Tree Demon thrashed violently, while the Demon Vines seemed unable to withstand the searing flames either, twitching in agony.

The ground beneath their feet began to shake. Everyone swayed, barely able to remain standing.

"You think you can truly destroy me? Little girl, you're too naive! I will never die!"